A morning mixture of news, features and weather, telecast from a Manhattan studio across from Central Park. The launch of `The Early Show' in 1999 marked Bryant Gumbel's return to the morning wars in a ratings battle against his old program, NBC's `Today,' (more…)A morning mixture of news, features and weather, telecast from a Manhattan studio across from Central Park. The launch of `The Early Show' in 1999 marked Bryant Gumbel's return to the morning wars in a ratings battle against his old program, NBC's `Today,' as well as ABC's `Good Morning America.' With the exits of Gumbel, co-anchor Jane Clayson and weathercaster Mark McEwen in October 2002, CBS brought in the foursome of Harry Smith, Julie Chen, Hannah Storm and Rene Syler.